Gripper is a Mixed Breed. She appears to be part Miniature Pinscher but the other breed(s) are a guess. Maybe some Jack Russell Terrier, Chihuahua or some other bug-eyed breed. Whatever she is, her personality is very Terrier-like. She is about ten years old, weighs about 13 pounds, and stands 13" at the withers. I adopted her when she was about a year old. The Gripster is an energetic and amusing little girl. She loves to play and is very independent.
Gripsie was originally found wandering in Williamsburg, an industrial area of Brooklyn. She was eventually caught and taken to the BARC shelter. She ran around free in their store for several months. All the toys were hers! BARC had named her "Giovanna" but I changed it to something more appropriate when I adopted her. (When she's got a grip on a toy, she doesn't let go. That tenacity is what "sold" her to me.)
I discovered her when I stumbled upon her photo and description when checking out the Petfinder website. That original photo is below in the top row, far left. She was cute and looked like the perfect agility dog but I really wasn't looking for another dog so I let it go. But I kept thinking about her and after a couple weeks, I e-mailed BARC hoping that she had found a home. When I found out she hadn't, I went to have a peek.
Our first meeting was not at all pleasant. She wanted nothing to do with me (or anybody) and shredded my hands when I'd go near her or her toys. After an hour of bloodshed (mine) and attempts to "connect" with her, I gave up. I concluded she was probably "unreachable" by humans. Too far gone. She seemed almost autistic.
But a few weeks later, she was still there and I decided to at least give her a day in the country since she'd probably never seen a blade of grass. I took her to my agility training place in Long Island and decided to try playing with her a bit there. She immediately took to the clicker and I was very impressed by her eagerness and trainability.
I decided to take on the challenge. A little voice in my head kept saying, "if you're a dog trainer, this one's for you." I realized if not me, then who? No one in their right mind would take her. This was a dog that you couldn't touch - anywhere. I knew she was right for agility (long legs & stride, incredibly flexible body, high drive, speed, etc.) but turning her into a team player was the tough part.
She learned the agility obstacles in an amazingly short time. It took her far longer to learn her name and to enjoy being petted. Agility gave her a reason to interact with humans (for the treats at least!). After training for only four months for agility, I felt I had run out of things to teach her. It is recommended that a dog be trained for at least a year before entering competition. But Grip had completely reliable obstacle performance and was fast as lightening. After a few matches (simulated trials) at unfamiliar locations, I hesitantly signed her up for a few trials. She did great and racked up titles in a few months that take most dogs years to attain. I competed with her for eight years and she earned multiple championship titles in both USDAA and NADAC (AKC does not allow mixed breeds to play). Gripper also loved to run courses with other people. She seemed to like the novelty of it. I loaned her out to kids at trials and she even has a Junior Handler title.
In 2007, I decided to retire her from competition. She definitely could have continued to be successful for at least a few more years. But with no new dog on the horizon to compete with (Fix and Sputnik were clearly not that into it) and nothing left to accomplish with Grip, I decided it was time to stop. Grip still loved the game and I dearly miss running with her. But we have just as much fun in the Park together. Having my weekends free means we can take a lot more roadtrips which is more fun for all of us.
Grip still has some behavior issues that requires management on my part. She still hates having her feet or mouth touched. Gripper also knows tons of tricks and loves freestyle training. Grip's other favorite activities are chasing squirrels and scavenging for bits of food. She also really loves balls, frisbees, and squeakie toys.
She is an amazing, entertaining, and unforgettable character. In 2002, I lost her for three days in Maryland. She disappeared at dusk without a collar - most likely to chase a rabbit. A friend and I put up posters all over town and, miraculously, she was found. I have been especially grateful for every day that I have her since then.
Grip has been a challenging dog but we have developed a very deep relationship. I love all my dogs but she is admittedly my favorite.
